(From left) NEXEL Vice President Woo Dong-hoon, Johns Hopkins University Professor Michael Miller, Nexcel CEO Han Chung-seong, Johns Hopkins University Professor Kim Deok-ho.©Nexel

 

Nexel (CEO Chung-Sung Han), a company specializing in somatic cells and organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), announced on the 19th that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Johns Hopkins Center for Microphysiological Systems at Johns Hopkins University in the United States.

 

This MOU signing was carried out with the aim of strengthening collaborative efforts for the development of innovative biotechnology solutions between Nexel and the Johns Hopkins University Center for Microphysiological Systems, which is one of the 6 "Global Industry Technology Cooperation Centers (GITCC)" established in April this year with the support of the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Professor Michael Miller, the Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, and Professor Deok-Ho Kim, the Director of the Center for Microphysiological Systems, attended the event.

 

Through this agreement, Nexel and the Johns Hopkins University Center for Microphysiological Systems have agreed to establish a strategic partnership and educational collaboration in the areas of: 1) stem cell and organoid cultivation, differentiation, functionalization, and industrial-scale production; and 2) joint research and development of microphysiological systems (MPS) including organ-on-a-chip, as well as the use of stem cells/organoids for drug toxicity and efficacy evaluation.

 

The Center for Microphysiological Systems at Johns Hopkins University, which involves over 30 faculty members from the School of Medicine, Whiting School of Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, and the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, was established in 2022 to develop more rapid, accurate, and efficient human disease models for drug development, as well as to innovate the drug development process through collaboration with global pharmaceutical companies and the FDA.

 

Nexel, a biotech company founded based on hiPSC technology, aims to develop and produce hiPSC-derived cells and organoids, as well as provide customized cell products, and utilize them for drug safety and efficacy screening. Neksell has also made progress in its global expansion, including a strategic investment and business collaboration with Japan's largest CRO, CMIC, and a recent technical support contract for hiPSC-derived cells with Japan's Dai Nippon Printing (DNP).

 

Chung-Sung Han, the CEO of Nexel, stated that "Nexel is currently developing various in vitro drug screening methods to complement and replace animal experiments," and that "this agreement with the leading MPS/organoid research institution, the Johns Hopkins University Center for Microphysiological Systems, will provide a great opportunity to synergize our core capabilities and technology."